Guidance

Biosecurity guidance for safe disposal of mortalities

Updated 4 April 2025

Applies to England and Wales

Fish and shellfish farmers, importers, fishery owners and landowners are responsible for the safe and legal collection and disposal of mortalities and/or processing waste. All culled animals must be disposed of in a bio-secure manner in compliance with the Animal By-Product Regulations (ABP), using a designated facility that can handle aquatic animals classified. In the event of a disease outbreak that requires a clearance and disinfection plan, this will be agreed between the FHI and site operator.

You can make your own arrangements for your losses or waste to be disposed of at an approved premises, or you can use the National Fallen Stock Company (NFSCo) which is used for farm animals but is also available for aquatic animal mortalities.

1. Animal by-products

ABPs are animal carcasses, parts of animals, or other materials which come from animals but are not meant for humans to eat. Depending on the risk of disease transfer to other animals and humans determines which category the waste will fall under. For example, Mortalities as a result of disease or culling of disease = ABP Category 2

Processing waste = ABP Category 3

ABP categories explained

ABPs must be transported in covered leakproof containers / vehicles and be accompanied by a commercial document. Find out more about how to dispose of ABPs.

Incinerator plants that only burn animal carcasses or unprocessed parts of carcasses must be approved by the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

animal-carcase-incineration.pdf

2. Disposal of mortalities

Any experienced mortalities on your site should be collected and transported from your site without ‘undue delay’. This means as soon as is reasonably practical under the circumstances and must ensure that there is no risk of transmission of disease to humans and animals.

You must not:

· burn or bury mortalities on your site.

· feed mortalities to wild animals such as foxes, badgers or birds.

For category 2 or 3 waste which is not infected or suspected to be infected with disease can be taken for disposal via feeding to certain animals at a:

· hunt kennel

· maggot farm

· zoo

While waiting for your mortalities to be collected, you must ensure that animals and birds cannot access the carcasses and to be collected by an approved transporter.

Bins or containers can be used as a temporary store for mortalities, especially during times of high mortality. Your bins must be kept clean and disinfected, must have lids and be leakproof. Mortalities can also be stored by freezing, until collection, freezers need to be kept clean and disinfected between use.

You can choose to use NFSCo to collect and dispose of your fallen stock. This is a not for profit, industry-led community interest company offering a collection service for farmers and horse owners but also available for fish farmers etc. and can facilitate disposal in emergency situations.

Contact NFSCo on: 01335 320014. If you want to make your own arrangements, you should use approved premises for animal by-product operating plants.

You are responsible for covering the costs of collection and disposal.

3. Ban on burying or burning fallen stock

The burial or burning of fallen stock, including all aquatic mortalities, in the open is banned to prevent the risk of spreading disease from residues in the soil, groundwater or air pollution.

In the UK, there are some exemptions to this ban and authorisation to do so under these circumstances must be obtained from the competent authority and carried out in line with the ABP regulations.

4. Aquaculture Production Businesses

Mortalities or culling due to disease from an Aquaculture Production Business (APB) will need to be disposed of via Category 2 waste routes and is your responsibility to ensure the business you may use has the correct capability. It is also possible to use them onsite in composting or anaerobic digestion, provided they are ensiled materials.

Waste from the processing of animals onsite (i.e. from filleting fish, shells from shellfish with soft tissue) needs to be disposed of via Category 3 APB routes such as further processing of the material for pet feeds, fertilisers etc.

Any operator chosen to process or dispose of Mortalities must be appropriately registered, approved or permitted by the relevant competent authority.

5. Disease Control Areas

All fish culled for disease control purposes or that have died because of a disease outbreak are removed from the affected site or water under the authority and supervision of the FHI acting on behalf of the Secretary of State/ Welsh Ministers. This is managed through the statutory disease control measures applied to the affected area.

Methods of disposal will be directed by the FHI and may be tailored to the nature of the disease risk and logistics of the situation and in a bio-secure manner. The disposal will be in accordance with the Animal By-Product Regulations at a designated disposal facility for aquatic animals classified as a Category 1 or 2 ABP. Full costs are borne by the affected business.

6. Retailers disposing of small quantities of ABPs (e.g. Ornamental Aquatic Retail)

An exemption is in place that allows the disposal of dead aquatic animals to landfill via normal refuse routes provided they are placed into sealed plastic bags beforehand.

7. Pet animals

You are allowed to bury pet animals under certain circumstances i.e. where the animal originates from (e.g. garden)

This does not apply to farming of such animals or other commercial activities. Mortalities from an aquaculture establishment such as a fish farm, trader or shellfish farm must be disposed of using an approved disposal method and not buried.

8. Wild animals

The carcasses of wild animals, other than wild game, are exempt from the animal by-product rules in the UK.

However, if it’s suspected that the animals are infected with a disease which can spread to other aquatic animals, they must be disposed of as a category 1 ABP.

If a member of the public observes mortalities in wild fish in inland waters, they should not be removed but reported to the responsible person for the water (local authority if within public land, water/landowner) and to the FHI, EA or NRW.